A Message of Revenge
by KaithrEchtein
Summary: Kaithr, a young draenei, sets out on a quest for revenge in the midst of a war torn land. But when she is forced to look after a member of her enemy species, can she keep her thoughts of revenge while making an unlikely friend?


The young draenei fumed, scrubbing down the side of the purple elekk in her care. _Why _wouldn't they let her join the next battalion to the front, to the Outlands? It was as if they _wanted _to keep her trapped, locked away safe in Ammen Vale.

The elekk trumpeted, turning to see why she had stopped wiping. She sighed, resting her forehead against his side.

"Why won't they let me, Kal?" she whispered, closing her eyes against the onslaught of tears. "I'm a better fighter than that Akaarn any day."

"Kaithr, what are you doing here?"

"Cleaning Kal'soor," she replied. "What does it look like?"

"Like you are moaning over your fate."

She spun around, the cloth flying from her hand. "Kaia! I – it wasn't–!"

Kaia laughed, catching the cloth easily. "What is it this time?"

"They won't let me out. They won't let me join any battalions, not to fight the Horde, not to the Outlands. It's like they want me trapped here forever, looking after elekk!"

Kal'soor crooned at her, swinging his trunk around to lip at her head. She sighed again.

"They are wise, Kaithr. There will be a reason for this. The–"

"The Naru have not forgotten us, I know. But… sometimes, it feels like they've forgotten _me_."

Kaia sighed and handed the cloth back. "Your time will come. Be patient."

Kaithr bit her lip.

Kaia laughed. "Well learn patience then, shaman! I thought it was a shaman trait."

"Not of this one." Kaithr attempted a smile. "Thank you, Kaia."

"My pleasure to help, Kaithr. Don't do anything too rash, will you?" Kaia left the field, waving to a few other draenei.

Kaithr turned back to Kal'soor and continued cleaning his side. She would learn patience. She had to. But… could she?

Kaithr didn't leave the paddocks where Kal'soor and the other elekk were kept, waiting for everyone else to leave first. It was dark, darker than usual – clouds covered the moon. But Kaithr could see easily, having got used to the dim light in the time between everyone else leaving.

"Now… Kal, dare we?"

Kal'soor groaned softly beside her, using his trunk to lip at her head.

The other elekk shifted uneasily. They could smell something. Kaithr turned to look around, not seeing anything out of the ordinary.

The crashed ship where all the draenei slept, the iridescent coloured trees and ground. Softly glowing crystals… and a glow that wasn't them.

Kaithr stiffened, peering to see. Elekk pawed at their tethers, straining to break free.

"Is that… what is that?" Kaithr murmured.

And then the wind swung to blow in her face, and she choked on the acrid smell of smoke.

"Fire!" she yelled, moving to untether Kal'soor. "There's fire in the vale!"

As if that had been an order for them, the elekk trumpet loudly, their noise far outclassing Kaithr's shout.

"Come on, Kal." She leapt onto his back. "Let's see what we can do."

Kal'soor was uneasy about moving towards the fire, but he trusted Kaithr. And so he started out at a slow run towards the flickering glow. The other elekk trumpeted and pulled at their tethers, slashing their tusks at the ropes to break them.

"Kaithr?"

"Kaia, there's fire!" Kaithr called down, seeing the other draenei at one of the entrances to the crashed ship. "We have to–" Kaithr shrieked, interrupting her talk as an arrow shot out of the shadows to bury itself in Kaia's chest. "Kaia!"

Kaia gasped and felt for the arrow, her hand shaking. Kaithr reached out to her, but the elekk streamed passed them, and Kal'soor followed.

"No… no, no!" Kaithr twisted on Kal'soor's back, staring back. "Come on, we have to go–"

"Go where, little draenei?" someone hissed behind her.

Kaithr froze as she felt a blade under her throat.

"Turn these elekk around. _Now!_"

"Kal – Kal, turn," Kaithr stuttered out, kicking her heel into his right side.

Kal'soor trumpeted and tried to turn, but there were too many elekk around him. Kaithr's eyes were wide, frightened. She wasn't sure if she would live through this night, wouldn't live to leave the vale. But she had to. Her eyes narrowed imperceptibly.

"Why aren't they turning, little draenei?"

"There are too many to control," she replied, bloodless lips stiffening with a strange resolve.

The nearest elekk was a war elekk, bred specially for the front. If she could, perhaps… startle it? War elekk took a lot to startle, she knew… but she also knew what _would _startle them. She'd worked with them before.

But the blade at her throat…

Slowly Kaithr slid down, trying to make the movement unnoticed. But whoever it was holding her was perceptive, and grabbed her tighter.

"Careful there… we wouldn't want this blade to slip now, would we? It is sharp."

Kaithr could _feel _the sharpness of it, pressing into her skin. But she had to act. "I think – I think I can get them to turn. But you'll need to let me go."

The person laughed. "How ingenious you are! I haven't had that one in a _long _time. Turn them from here."

Kaithr flickered her eyes right and left. Pack elekk were most of what made up the rampaging herd – most of the war elekk were kept elsewhere, and sent to the front as soon as they were ready. That would make it easier…

She reached again – this time backwards, grabbing for the pack she'd left on Kal'soor, as always. Tokens scattered across the ground as it opened, but she managed to catch one and toss it into the air. And with a yell, it ignited into a burst of flame, startling the elekk.

_Please be in range, please be in range…_

The elekk trumpeted and struggled to turn, to get away from the flaming totem. Flames burst from it, not hitting the elekk but heading for Kaithr instead.

And Kaithr waited, narrowing her eyes. Whoever it was holding her hadn't noticed the flames, hadn't noticed their attack – they were only concentrating on the now turning elekk, bringing them back towards the settlement.

As the flame neared them, Kaithr grabbed the arm that held the knife and yanked it down, following it through so that the flame didn't hit her but her assailant.

There was a yell and the smell of burning. The knife dropped from a spasming red tinged hand, and Kaithr leapt free, balancing on Kal'soor's head.

"That was clever, little draenei," the blood elf hissed, patting out the flames on his top. "Very clever indeed." He stood, shakily, and drew a sword out. "But that cleverness will end _here._"

Kaithr licked bloodless lips once more, watching the elf. He wasn't used to the movement of elekk – it was obvious from the way he stood, more time wasted on balancing himself firmly than riding with the movement. She could lose him.

He lifted his sword – and she leapt. From Kal'soor's head to the war elekk, running across its back to the next, getting steadily farther and farther away.

And still the elekk were turning, running back. Some were scattering as yet more elves appeared, darting out of the way of the rampage.

Kaithr glanced back. The elf was trying to follow her, but Kal'soor wasn't making it easy for him, jostling his every movement. Kaithr grinned and kept moving.

Arrows whistled overhead and she ducked, diving for a tusk and swinging from it, propelling herself back up onto an elekk's head. And then they were by the settlement, its pink and white ship structure glowing in the light of fires. Kaithr leapt again, and hit the side of it, scrabbling for purchase on its smooth side. There – a ridge! She dug fingers into that and caught her hooves on another one, grateful she didn't have the money to buy shoes now.

From on top of the building, she could see the river of elekk, scattering into the trees and surroundings. There was fire everywhere, and arrows thick in the night. She kept low, hoping they wouldn't look to the roof.

A roar startled her, and she looked down to see the draenei charging for an attack, finally ready to defend their home. The forces met with a clash, hammers breaking through shields and bones alike. Kaithr winced, stepping back, away from the fighting.

"You led me a pretty chase, draenei. Someone like you could be useful for us."

She spun around at the voice, eyes widening and tail raising like a flag pole. The warrior had managed to get up behind her. He still had his sword _and _knife, and she – she had nothing. She backed away as he came closer.

"So what do you say? Round up those elekk for us, bring them with us… and we won't kill you."

Kaithr frowned. He was asking her to betray her own kind?

"Never," she spat. "I'll never follow you!"

"Pity… but I _was _hoping you'd say that."

Fire plumed into the sky behind her, and she saw his pale, narrow face contort into a vicious looking smile.

"So… shall we do this quickly?" He raised his sword.


End file.
